Aspies For Freedom

Typical Aspie behaviour is frustrating for most people because :

• whining about the same topic for two hours is something most people just can't stand (it's so hard to find people who like that).
  
• most people just don't give a f*** about books printed between 1850 and 1950, train schedules, Kantian philosophy or whatever unusual topic is your main field of interest. They may even be shocked when they know you have a series of jarred dead animals in your bedroom (I do - a biology student gave them to me).
  
• they may feel ackward when you start throwing around your arms and/or hands without realising it.
  
• they don't understand why you care so little for cleaning up your desk or taking a shower (I didn't when I was a teenager).
  
• they may think you're arrogant (even when you're trying to be nice).
  
• they may think you're stupid (even if you have a genius IQ).
  
• they may think you're selfish (because you like to keep talking all the time about your own interests and you keep interrupting others to do so).
  
• they may think you're crazy (when you have unusual religious, political or philosophical ideas).
  
• they may get frustrated when you keep ignoring their social cues even though they're obvious to anyone else in the room.
  
• they may not like your sense of humor.
  
• they may get angry when your priorities are completely oposite to theirs (especially people who depend on you taking care of your priorities).
  

Basically, "normal people" get frustrated because they simply don't understand your behavior and they don't know how to deal with it. As such, most of them will try to avoid you after some time. If you're lucky, you can become friends with those rare "normal people" patient enough to get to know you better and look beyond what they regards as weirdness.

Indeed. Ever since the beginning of the 19th century, mankind has rapidly degenerated. I suggest authors such as Max Nordau or Oswald Spengler for any more insight in this phenomenon.

Christianity is bunk. Eastern philosophy (Buddhism, Confusianism, Shintoism, Taoism or Vedanta) is far superior to that childish religion called Christianity.

So? It's still a fairly tale...

Christianity is an immature philosophy full of cognitive dissonance, a simplistic view of the "divine" and false values.

Eastern philosophy goes way beyond that. Although their are many differences, they all pretty much say that the real power/divinity is hidden within oneself and not some silly anthropomorpic being out in "heaven" (wherever that's supposed to be). By learning the proper techniques, we can use that power to both improve both ourselves and others. Easterners also have a better understanding of the individual's position among other humans and of humanities position among nature. That's why I regard these philosophies as superior.

Personally I prefer Shinto and Vedanta to Chinese philosophy (Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism), because the Chinese put too much stress on modesty and obedience. Not that I opose modesty and obedience, but there must always be leaders and followers. We can't all be followers.

From my perspective, Christianity actually held back the potential of European man. Sure, European man achieved a lot but I am pretty sure he would have achieved a lot more if he hadn't forcibly been converted to that damned desert religion.

Islam is hard to rate. I somewhat admire the open mind of Shia scholars, but I'm horrified by the fundamentalism of Wahhabism. I would regard Islam as one of the more pagan and therefore more healthy Abrahamic religions, but I would still say that all Abrahamic religions are inferior and quite childish. This includes Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

That's what I like about Vedanta. They basically teach you that anyone can choose his own path towards enlightenment. To them, the end result is far more important than the path you take to get there.

Still, I don't like Abrahamic faith. Those religions have supremacist tendencies and stimulate dogma, which tends to have an effect oposite to enlightenment.

That's rubbish. The closer a religion to the principles of nature, the more valuable and the more spiritual it is. The further away from the principles of nature, the more dangerous and the less spiritual it is. Desert religions like Judaism, Christianity and Islam are quite distant from nature and therefore quite dangerous and unspiritual.

Jews tend to consider themselves as God's chosen people and tend to look down upon anyone who doesn't belong to that category. Christians and Muslems don't nearly go this far, but they do have the tendency to convert others with violence or to use laws to enforce their ideas onto others.

Eastern philosophy lacks this attitude. Everyone is free to accept or not accept their teachings. They don't treat with disrespect those who are different and they don't want to enforce their ideas onto anyone. Enlightenment must come from within and simply cannot be enforced.

I believe the latter approach to be superior to the first. If you regard that as supremacist, so be it. I regard it as maturity and common sense.

That was more or less the point I was trying to make.

Vedanta, Shia Islam, Christianity , Wicca...  you are discussing some very interesting ideas, I have enjoyed reading this thread... I don't intend to intrude, just wanted to say that seraching is good, but finding is better, particularly if you relaize that what you found was always in you.  It is good to like a religion, or more than one, it feeds the thirsty or hungry soul.  if you find one (a religion) that speaks to your unique inner beliefs and meshes with your physical or sensory needs, the need for order, or music, what have you, all the better.  It is a shame that we humans have gotten so out of touch with, as one of you put it, the principles of nature, that as the other put it, we humans have to be TAUGHT that we have our own path.  Meditation is part of being spiritual - no matter what religion or principles of nature you ascrbie to, because it is only when you are quiet and seeking knowledge, that a spirit can become inspired. (In my opinion) .  
I must admit (happily) I was lucky to be happy enough with the religion I was born into, and lucky  enough to have seen thru the dogmas for what they are, just more things that the wrold throws at us -non-stop - distractions.  
Being hated for being  or for thinking or for searching for who you really are or for believing in a particular way is a crime against the principles of nature.  Even in my Catholic religion, that many seem to want to hate because of some of the Added On Distractions, the main premises are to LOVE and to be thankful for our most precious gift, in my belief G*d given,  Freedom, freedom to believe, or not.  
By the way, my youngest daughter had her 1st communion today feeling particualrly thankful and spiritual.

[I was raised a catholic and even became an altar boy for many years, but the more I learned about Christianity the more questions I had. When I finally gave up Christianity at the age of 17, the world made a lot more sense. That's probably the main reason why I'm not so fond of that religion.
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I am sure I know what you mean - the things doen in the name of religion and all the other distarctions, but (says me with her head like an ostrich in the sand) what you "found" was man-made I am sure.  ;O) Regardless, it is good to know when a religion isn't working for you, then the seacrh can being again, or not.

As a parent one of my main jobs - for all 3 kids - is to make sure that they "judge not, lest ye be judged" .  I AM finding it harder for my aspie son (he has forgiveness and mercy in his heart) but is tending toward categorizing people - something I don't like at all.  (I know it's not about what I like).  However, if he lumps people into groups, like that is a bully, that is a thug, that de-humanizes them. (next step is not even trying to understand)  I understand how, like Ethel says, he can get there.  How many times can he experience first hand the irrational, arbitrary, ludicrous, dumb, LYING, clique beahvior focused against him and not put up a defense for it, by thinking LESS of them.  I hope we somehow avoid him using labels because as soon as someone is labeled, it can lead to thinking on eis "better" somehow than another.  No one is any better than anyone else.  In my opinion - yes many act better, but inherently -all are good and deserve respect.

I am all for confidence- but confidence is not something that you can have only if you put down someone else.  That is a bully mentality - putting someone else down so you'll feel better.
Just being an idealist... sorry.  I do think people Hate what they fear and fear what they do not understand.

I was going to ask what Nutters meant, as it seemed like a kinda playful word for some one beign a bit out of hand - does it mean nuts?

Batman, I think you are unique and exceptional -..... trying to make up an affectionate term as Ethel is so good at them - .... Uniceptional!?

Can I be barmy too? I go on enough tangents don't I?

Just got a letter from a former neighbor -whose son is an aspie- a solicitation letter - (last year she and her sons "team ben" raised $13,000 US dollars for autism speaks and this year their goal is $15,000) on one line it said help us raise money for autism speaks who uses the money for "biomedical research " and looking for a "Cure" .  can you imagine? - I can't - having my son wear a shirt that basically says "cure me" - i.e stop me from being me, make sure no one ever ends up like me anymore... (her son is a piano playing, alto singing, math genius, no health problems a really nice kid (he's in highschool now)in Texas.  anyway. weird.

You know - fact is, until I came on here - I never gave those words a thought - I didn't put it together what they meant either.  That terminology probably numbs the brain... (I had never even glacned at autism speaks though)